Annals of medicine
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To offer consensus on the utilization of corticosteroids (CS) for treating non-infectious uveitis in the context of clinical practice in Taiwan. This entails examining the different administration methods, their advantages and disadvantages, and considering alternative treatments according to the prevailing evidence and health policies. ⋯ While CS are a cornerstone for non-infectious uveitis treatment, their administration requires careful consideration, depending on the clinical situation and the specific type of uveitis. The consensus generated from this article provides a guideline for practitioners in Taiwan, taking into account local health policies and the latest research on the subject. It emphasizes the significance of strategic tapering, the potential for alternative therapies, and the importance of patient-centric care.
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Previous meta-analyses have investigated the efficacy of lipid-lowering therapies for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; however, few have focused on patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). This meta-analysis aimed to compare the benefits of intensive lipid-lowering therapy with those of background statin therapy in patients with ACS. ⋯ Intensive lipid-lowering therapies may reduce the risk of three-point MACE, recurrent ACS, nonfatal MI, stroke, and hospitalization for unstable angina in patients with ACS undergoing background statin therapy. These results may assist in clinical decision-making for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events to initiate intensive lipid-lowering therapies immediately after ACS.
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Hepatic portal venous gas(HPVG) represents a rare radiographic phenomenon frequently linked to intestinal necrosis, historically deemed to need immediate surgical intervention. The pivotal query arises about the imperative of urgent surgery when a patient manifests HPVG after gastrointestinal surgery. This inquiry seeks to elucidate whether emergent surgical measures remain a requisite in such cases. ⋯ After gastrointestinal surgery, in Computed Tomography (CT) imaging, the coexistence of HPVG and gastrointestinal dilatation, without signs of peritoneal irritation on abdominal examination, may suggest HPVG due to acute gastrointestinal injury, intestinal gas, and displacement of gas-producing bacteria. These patients can be managed conservatively under close supervision. In cases where HPVG coexists with gastrointestinal dilatation and Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) without signs of peritoneal irritation, conservative treatment may be continued under close supervision. However, if progressive exacerbation occurs despite close monitoring and the aforementioned treatments, timely surgical exploration is deemed necessary. When HPVG is combined with signs of peritoneal irritation, prompt laparotomy and exploration are preferred.
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Review
Role of apoptosis repressor with caspase recruitment domain in human health and chronic diseases.
Apoptosis repressor with caspase recruitment domain (ARC) is a highly potent and multifunctional suppressor of various types of programmed cell death (PCD) (e.g. apoptosis, necroptosis, and pyroptosis) and plays a key role in determining cell fate. Under physiological conditions, ARC is predominantly expressed in terminally differentiated cells, such as cardiomyocytes and skeletal muscle cells. Its expression and activity are tightly controlled by a complicated system consisting of transcription factor (TF), non-coding RNA (ncRNA), and post-translational modification (PTM). ⋯ In this review, we mainly focus on the regulatory mechanisms of ARC expression and activity and its role in PCD. We also discuss the underlying mechanisms of ARC in health and disease and highlight the potential implications of ARC in the clinical treatment of patients with chronic diseases. This information may assist in developing ARC-based therapeutic strategies for patients with chronic diseases and expand researchers' understanding of ARC.
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. Despite a large number of studies, the current prognosis of ALS is still not ideal. This article briefly describes the clinical features including epidemiology, genetic structure and clinical manifestations, as well as the progress of new diagnostic criteria and treatment of ALS. Meanwhile, we also discussed further both developments and improvements to enhance understanding and accelerating the introduction of the effective treatments of ALS.